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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

FORT YATES, N.D. - I think that I was fortunate to grow up on Standing Rock in
the 80s. In retrospect I’d say that I grew up in a clash of cultures and I
didn’t know it. I played outside and ran to the top of Golf Hill as much as I
watched TV. It was like there was not enough time to do either. All the media I
was exposed to in school, on TV and the radio was all in English. All the live
music I was exposed to was what you might call pow-wow music.

I lived with my mother, but I grew up in my grandmother’s house where she and my Lala
(grandfather) spoke Lakota daily. At school, at the same time we learned Lakota
from Mrs. Good Left, and my grandparents thought it was waśtė, or good. Sometimes my grandparents would tell me something
in Lakota, expect me to remember it, and relay it to Mrs. Good Left. Mrs. Good
Left would laugh a pleasant chuckle, pleased that I wanted to learn and not
because I said something incorrect. Sometimes, Mrs. Good Left would have me
remember something to say to my grandparents too.

In those days on Standing Rock, sometime in the
mid-eighties, cable arrived and with it came HBO and MTV. When movies like
“Iron Eagle” came on, one of my uncles felt just as comfortable calling it Wambli Maza, Iron Eagle. Only for me, in
my mind, to apply Lakota language to American media, felt decidedly odd. The
first time it happened, or I heard my uncle Kenny jovially announce Wambli Maza ahi, śakowiŋ mazaskanśkan,
not that he spoke Lakota all the time either, but his use of it amused my
grandparents, and confused me to hear him say “Iron Eagle is coming, 7:00
o’clock.”

I pictured in my mind a movie about Indians in the old days
with tipis and horses. I didn’t know whether to be insulted or pleased that the
movie was called “Iron Eagle” when I saw it. I liked the movie enough then that
I got past the traditional Lakota village I envisioned when he’d announce Iron
Eagle. Now, at least to me, Louis Gossett Jr. will always have the unofficial
“Indian” name of “Iron Eagle," or Mita Toka, "Enemy Mine."

MTV was one of my favorite channels. My uncle Kenny and I
would watch and memorize the videos. That was back when MTV actually played
videos. My younger brother and I would enthusiastically watch HBO’s Double
Feature Friday, especially when Commando and Terminator were scheduled, then
we’d watch the Friday Night music fights and call in to support Van Halen’s
“Jump” video. We'd stay up to watch reruns of Star Trek, the original series.

Here's a screen capture of Joe Elliot wielding a sword which had nothing to do with the song, but was pretty cool. I swear this video and the first Highlander made swords awesome. My brother and I would sword fight with my mother's knives when she left us alone - needless to say, we ruined all of her nice knives during our play.

I fell asleep in the living room too many times to Def
Leppard’s “Foolin’” that I swear I dreamed of myself beside Joe Elliot
screaming “Is anybody out there? Is anybody there?” on a cliff side on the
other end of Golf Hill.

My grandfather would take us to all the pow-wows, traditional
celebrations you might call them, but I don’t think my grandfather ever really
saw them as traditional. He would slap some Old Spice aftershave on, perch his
WWII ball cap atop his head, we’d jump in his car and on our way out of town,
he’d gas up at Tim’s and buy us a Coke. On the way to the pow-wows, Wacipi, as we call them, he’d slap a
cassette tape in his black tape recorder and play songs he recorded at a
previous pow-wow.

I’d usually bring along my personal cassette player and
headphones and jam to Def Leppard, U2, Journey, Boston,
Asia or hair metal bands like Trixter,
Steelheart, and Cinderella, on the road trip. I didn’t always listen to my
music. Sometimes I’d run my batteries down and then listen to KFYR 550 AM with
my grandparents, which sounded especially old-fashioned to my ears. I wished I
had asked more questions and listened with a sharper ear to my grandparents.

Once, well, more than once, I had the audacity to wear my
headphones at the pow-wow. Def Leppard was nearly always handy in my pocket. I
liked to imagine that somehow I’d snag a beautiful pow-wow girl and we’d make
out to “Love and Affection.” That never worked out. I was rockin’ hard to
“Rocket” as I was walking around the pow-wow bowery one evening, and I swear I
laughed out loud, and the memory is still in my head clearly after all these
years, men traditional dancers were dancing to the beat of Rocket and stopped
when the song ended. I can’t hear Rocket today without thinking of men’s
traditional dancers.

My mother had a great big stereo in the living room, and we
listened to it as much as we watched TV. On Saturdays, after cartoons, we’d
clean house to the radio, and we always listened to the Top 40. We also had
some of my grandfather’s pow-wow cassette tapes there, and once in a while we’d
play those loud until the drumbeats and the base rattled my mother’s windows.
Her stereo used to have a turntable too. I remembered that it had a sapphire
needle and when it went missing she went ape shit. To this day I when I see a
turntable I can’t help but remember her rant.

Here he is, Wicasa Maza, Iron Man. I'd totally adopt this guy as my brother in the Lakota tradition and give him that name.

I live off the reservation these days. I find myself saying
the things like, “Let’s go see Wicasa
Maza (Iron Man), Iktomi Iniha Kin (The
Amazing Spiderman), Hoksila Mni (Water
Boy),” to my boys, as if to make the movie we’re going to sound like something
Hollywod made something about Indians. My favorite movie to do this with was Ozuya Wicakpi, or Star Wars. When the
prequel movies came out, I’d announce to my oldest, “Let’s go see that new
movie, Ozuya Wicakpi,” I’d even embellish my take on it, “Indianing it up” so
to speak. I made Qui-gon Jin and Obiwan Kenobi sound like medicine men. When he
wouldn’t want to go, I’d say something to the effect that I was going to see
Star Wars (in English) and he’d change his mind.

I like Def Leppard. Its like the soundtrack to my life or
something. That group has been a part of my life in childhood, middle school (I
held a girl’s hand to “Pour Some Sugar On Me” for the first time), high school,
college, work, and life in general. I even made a video of my boys to Def
Leppard’s “Promises.” I don’t expect them to like my dated tastes, I’m glad
though, that when they’ll hear it, they’ll think of me.

We’re going to name our boys with traditional Lakota names
in a few weeks. I’m taking care of a few last things and we’ll be ready. With
this kind of tradition, a give-away or feed is usually called for the occasion.
I’d like to invite Def Leppard if I could. I would love it if Robert Downy Jr. came too. I'd give him the name "Wicasa Maza."

Thursday, July 5, 2012

The Luke Winter Count begins in the center and spirals outward in a counter-clockwise manner.

The Luke Winter Count

A Lakota Perspective On The Life Of Jesus

By Dakota WindFORT YATES, N.D. - Late last year, an Episcopal (Anglican if you're not an American) priest made a passing comment to my mother about how wonderful it would be to make a winter count about the life of Jesus Christ. My mother relayed the comment to me and I thought about it, dismissed it (or thought I dismissed the idea of it), and went to sleep. In the middle of the night, I awoke, thinking, it might be possible. I emailed Fr. John and we began a dialog.This past spring, my Leksi (pronounced "lek-SHEE," which means "uncle") Cedric and Fr. John came to an agreement that allowed Fr. John to acquire a brain-tanned bison robe. I met with Fr. John about the winter count concept and he suggested using the Gospel of Luke. He actually saved me a lot of work by organizing and summarizing the verses of the book himself, and I agreed to prepare this work in memory of my Lala (meaning "grandfather") and Unci (oon-CHEE, meaning "grandmother"), and Leksi Randolph, and Leksi Kenneth.Traditionally it seems to have been that the winter count is named after the keeper. Though I made it, it must not be named after me. In my notes, and email exchanges with Fr. John, my Miskunla (mee-SHKOON-la, meaning "little sister") Rev. Angela, and her husband, my Misunkala (mee-SUUN-kah-lah, meaning "little brother") Rev. Brandon, and Ciye (chee-YAY, older brother) Rev. Terry, and Leksi Martin, I referred to the winter count as the Jesus Winter Count, in passing talk I've called it the Savior Winter Count. However, the winter count will be kept at St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Fort Yates, and being that it is based on the Gospel of Luke, it would be most proper to call it the Luke Winter Count.So, here is what I've been up to these past few months. Please share it.

The angel answered and said unto her, The Holy
Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:
therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the
Son of God.

Then
Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is
destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will
be spoken against 35 (yes, a sword will pierce
through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened; And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

8

Luke 4:3 [image of a man in the sunlight, another
man stands beside him with bread in one hand, a stone on the ground; a line
above the first man, a broken line above the second]

But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house. And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles.

Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock.

19

Luke 7:2-3,10 [image of a war chief kneeling; the sign for "100" made with his right hand, whom the chief leads]

And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.

Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.

21

Luke 7:27-28 [image of hands above water to signify baptism, an arrow indicating something greater than the one baptizing]

This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

23

Luke 8:4-8 [image of a healthy corn stalk, beside which are a seed, a withered stalk, and a broken stalk]

And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light. For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad. Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.

25

Luke 8:19-21 [image of two circles, the cross in one denotes that Christ's message is the center of one's life, the encircled heart that which one holds close]

Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press. And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee. And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

26

Luke 8:22-24 [image of men in a bullboat, the means which the Lakota crossed the Missouri River and others]

Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth. But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.